Here there be pirates

Chapter 5

A/N: Here we are. This one is so hard to write sometimes...

Chapter 5

Alfred Jones felt like he was floating. He bounded into the kitchen where Roderich was preparing this evening’s supper with a grin as wide as the sea itself.

“Someone looks happy?” chuckled the Austrian, turning to him with a dry grin and Alfred nodded.

“Artie was talking with me. He told me about the, um, is it dreimal gebissen Kapitan?” The older pirate’s eyebrow rose at ‘Artie’ and he chortled at the rest.

“Ah, the old tale of our encounter. Ja, Antonio still regrets that. It’s rather amusing.”

“HALLO! RODDY!” A shout announced Gilbert’s arrival as he burst into the room, trailed by Ludwig and Feliciano. The albino’s eyes fixed on Alfred and he shot him a smirk.

“Hallo auch zu dein, klein Freibeuter,” smirked the Prussian. “I heard someone was kissing the Kapitan!” Every set of eyes settled on Alfred who went bright red and nodded minutely. There was a short pause before Gilbert cracked up, giving his short manic laughter.

“Keseseseseses! I knew it!”

“Oh, bruder, leave the boy alone,” chided Ludwig, wrapping an arm around Feliciano. Alfred faintly remembered Roderich telling him that the German and the Italian were head over heels in love. It was such an odd thought; they made such an odd couple. The little, hyperactive Italian and the tall, stern German but Alfred couldn’t help but think that their infatuation was cute. Gilbert was talking as he slid over to Roderich, lacing his arm around the Austrian’s waist.

“So, I was talking to Alistair up top and then die Kapitan came bouncing out, actually grinning. I think that the first time I’ve ever seen him smile. So Alistair asks him what’s going on and he just says, ‘Alfie is a great kisser’ and bounds off to talk to Finnigan!” Alfred didn’t think he could get anymore red but by the giggles from Feliciano, he had managed it.

“He likes you, Al!” squealed the Italian and Roderich gave a soft chuckle, leant into Gilbert’s embrace.

“Well, I, for one, am glad that Alfred is settling in so well. It is good to see,” said Roderich with a small smile. Alfred flushed lightly at the words. He liked the old pirate and could easily see him as the father figure to the crew. He wondered if the respectable Austrian had ever been a father himself but was too afraid to ask. Gilbert toyed absently with Roderich’s hair, causing him to grumble half-heartedly.

“Hey, Gilbert, stop it…”

“Nein… It’s so soft.” He continued to play with Roderich’s odd curl and the ex-Captain gave up, just leaning into his touch. The kitchen door swung open and Will sauntered in, grinning as usual.

“Afternoon, my friends. How’s things going?”

“Gute, gute. Are we still heading for Mediterranean seas?” asked Ludwig, a soft frown on his young face. Will nodded.

“Cap’n’s orders and you know how stubborn he gets.” Roderich sighed.

“I just think he could do with leaving Antonio alone. It would do wonders for my stress levels if I was just allowed to forget that traitorous bastard, but, nein, Arthur is insistent on going back that way, where we are certain to run into him.”

“Hey, that’s Artie’s way and you know it, Rod. He’s stubborn and never one to let a grudge go and Antonio did take his eye…” replied the Welshman with a weary sigh.

“Ach, I know. Still…” Feliciano chipped in softly,

“I don’t want to see Lovino, ve. He betrayed us and I hate him and I don’t ever want to see him.” Alfred gawped at the little Italian. Feliciano was never cruel or harsh like that and about his own brother… It was a bit of a surprise and by the incredulous looks from the other pirates, even his boyfriend, Ludwig, it wasn’t often he was like this.

“That’s… That’s a little harsh, don’t you think, Felici?” mumbled Ludwig and you would have had to have been deaf not to hear the concern in the German’s voice.

“Well, he was very harsh to us…” pointed out Feliciano and Ludwig nodded, wrapping his lover up into his arms.

“I know. Try not to think of it, mm?” The Italian nodded, settling back into his arms. Alfred found himself thinking of the pirates in a different light.

Will’s scarred back covered by his dragon tattoo, like he had been burnt.

The way Roderich always wore gloves.

The scar down Gilbert’s face, from his temple to his chin.

The inclined limp Feliciano walked with.

The way Ludwig sat, straight backed but his back never touched the chair.

Alistair’s impressive collection of scars.

The scars over Finnigan’s chest as though he had been whipped.

The white bullet mark on Francis’s shoulder.

Arthur’s eye.

All these things were never spoken about, but they always made Alfred think. Although, never as much as he did now, contemplating how many times this mismatched crew had suffered for who they were and what they did. And they had been so kind to the American and his brother. He didn’t have any words. Luckily, he was saved from speaking by a holler of,

“Land! Land ahoy!” from Matthew in the crow’s nest. It always surprised Alfred as to how loud his brother could shout when he wanted to. And then, everything was a flurry of activity as the pirates set the ship ready to dock at the port.